The famous exploits of Welveren The Wandering Wizard

Welveren the Wandering Wizard, Chapter 4

"FUUUCK!" I screamed. The sunsword was gone. I was covered in cuts and bruises, museum security surrounded me. Someone had given me away. There were too many people to think about that might have tipped security off. The sunsword was gone, and I currently had about 20 Elven bows pointed at my neck. I was never going to save Ro. She was probably dead already if she had tried to kill that devil thing. Great. Centuries of my idiotic life, ended for a human girl. Then a thought struck me. A memory from long ago, resurrected by the smell. I could smell her cherry root-like scent, she had surely been here. I had been so distracted that night eight years ago I must not have noticed. I knew the smell very well. Ro was no human. She was Vistani.

Well, that explains a lot.

I smiled in relief. No Vistani was gonna lose a fight to this devilish thing, certainly not over a matter of revenge. Vistani were an ancient species, warriors by blood and driven by the heart. I had heard word of Paultin's supposed disappearance. If she was pissed enough, there was no stopping her. These thoughts reeled through my mind as I heard the head of security scream something.

"Huh?"

"ON THE GROUND! NOW, DROW SCUM!"

"Alright, alright." I dropped my crossbow and staff, and dropped to the ground. To be honest, I was a little intoxicated. The night before I had gone on such a drinking spree I somehow managed to get drunk even with my massive resistance to it. The past few months had been hell. traveling from inn to inn, killing more by the day and night in search of Ro. I curled up into a ball at night as I thought about all the horrible ways she could have died. I was so scared. And in that moment on the ground of the museum, I began to cry. I was done fighting, for now at least. I passed out from the pain, the tile ground stained with blue blood.

47 hours later.

I woke up on a grassy hill, many miles away from the town the museum was located in. I retched instinctively, vomit spewing from my mouth onto the ground. I heard a gasp and a thump. I looked up in wonder and amazement. I had never seen one in the flesh. A female High Elf.

"Eladrin."

"Drow. "

"Thank va, Eladrin Ary."

"Kaweh aul common, Drow."

"Okay, common it is." The high elf hefted me up. I realized I was mostly wearing rags, and I was covered in bandages. My torso was completely exposed.

"Where are my clothes?"

"Here." She tossed me my bag, and I took off the rags and began to put on my clothes. I felt no shame undressing in front of her, though she politely averted her eyes. Elven culture would have dictated it a crime punishable by death our two races even be near each other, so we were way past manners.

"You were going to die, you know."

"Yeah, yeah I've had worse. Now tell me. Why is a pureblood like you helping out Drow scum like me? Did Wy'at send you? Or Jagger?"

"If I wanted you dead you would be. You barely survived. It took me two days to revive you using my magicks. And even then I was doubtful."

She took my hand and admired the many scars and deep cuts along my body. I jerked my arm away and gave her a glare.

"Who are you? What are you doing out here? I thought all the Drow went into hiding."

"I could ask you the same, High Elf."

"I saved you, man. You first." I noticed she had her hand on the hilt of her dagger, just like I did during this entire conversation. A small hint of admiration appeared and vanished in my mind.

"Fair enough. The nests weren't for me. I broke out and became a wizard mercenary."

"Mercenaries are smart. They don't go into museums while drunk and try to steal something that's already stolen."

"Yeah, that's a long story." We were circling each other now, eyeing each other down and looking for weaknesses. We both realized we were doing this instinctively and stopped abruptly, though still weary of each other. She sighed heavily.

"I don't intend to fight you. C'mon. Let's sit down without being ready to kill each other."

"Fair enough." We both sat down, and I realized she pulled her boot close as I had, her hand at the ready as she obviously had another dagger in her boot, as I also had. We both chuckled and sat back.

"So, why'd you leave?"

"Whaddya mean?"

"Oh c'mon, high elf. The only reason one you would be out here healing up dumb Drow like me would be because you left the Feywild. Which means you're a rogue. A free spirit and all that. You can tell me. Why'd you leave?"

She suddenly looked hurt.

"It wasn't my choice."

I said nothing and handed her my waterskin. 

"What's in this?"

"Drink and you'll see."

"Don't try anything." I took a long sip and handed her the skin to prove it was safe. She looked at it skeptically.

"Fine." She took a small sip and her eyes lit up. 

"Sweet Mother's Tea!" I smiled.

"Indeed. I found the herbs in the Pass to the Southeast. When I spotted elven herbs I couldn't resist."

"You know how much money you could sell this to elves for?"

"You say that like there's elves running free and wild everywhere." She seemed to be brought down from her sugary high for a second.

"Yeah." She looked saddened once more, though she didn't show it.

"So why are you helping me, again?"

"I never said I was helping you. I kept you alive. And now I'm leaving." She started to pack her things and I yelled at her as she began to walk away.

"We both know why you did it!"

She stopped in her tracks. I walked up to her. Her still face began to tremble with sadness, her lip quivering.

"It starts to weigh on you after all these centuries. The loneliness. The pain."

She nodded and fell into my arms, weeping.

"Hush, hush." I whispered into her ear as her quiet sobs echoed in my ears. We fell asleep in an embrace as the sun set, alone together in an unforgiving world.

...

I woke up with her knife at my throat. I smiled and stared her in the face.

"What's your name?"

"Touch me like you did yesterday and I'll gut you like a fish."

"What's your name?"

She sighed with a smile and put her knife away. She pushed her neck length blonde-silvery hair out of her eyes and stood up, offering me her hand.

"Althea." 

I grabbed her hand and stood up, grabbing my pack.

"You ready to go?"

"What?"

"Are you ready?"

"For what?" I flashed a grin.

"For an adventure." She sighed and began walking towards the forest.

"I'm Welveren by the way."